Forbidden Fruit
by yellowroses27
Summary: What if Noah wasn't Allie's true love? What if Noah wasn't the first Allie had loved, what if he had stolen her heart from someone else? Meet Tommy, Allie's child hood sweetheart, as he comes back into her life once more....... Please review!
1. Dreams from the Past

The pang of thunder woke Allie from a deep slumber

The pang of thunder woke Allie from a deep slumber. She had been in the midst of the same dream she had been having for almost eight years. Of course, it wasn't a reoccurring dream, but over the past eight years, she had been visited by it several hundred times. It was a dream that had always left her wondering how things could have been or yet, should have been today.

She looked over opposite of her and sighed at the empty space in her bed. Noah had gone to New York to close a deal on some of the cherry-wood cabinets that were ordered a week ago. A man had come to the house and asked to look at some of Noah's work, hoping to purchase décor for a large restaurant that was almost finished. Noah's work had been discovered when the house he had restored for Allie had become famous and pictured in the paper. Until a year ago when she and Noah had been reunited, he had turned all the purchase orders down. Now, he had phone-calls coming in from all over the Eastern states. In fact, there had been several from the far west too. A few weeks ago, a gentleman had called clear from Oregon asking about purchases. Of course, Noah didn't feel the need to travel so far right now, but promised Allie that one day, they would visit the Pacific Coast together. So for the last week, he had been in New York, closing the financial agreements between himself and a Mr. Delacroix, the designing director for a new French restaurant called The Et Tu. And he would be there another four days, possibly more, if the director wanted to order more furniture.

Allie's only complaint was that he had not been home much, leaving them little time to plan their wedding. But despite what little time they had, they were to be married in three weeks. Three weeks! Three agonizing weeks and she would be his and he hers. But until that day, her only option was to sit alone and wait.

So here she was, sitting wide awake and now listening to the pouring rain outside. It smelled so good as it wafted through the slightly opened window. She lay back down on her pillow now, not intending to fall asleep, but perfectly content to just think about her dream. Suddenly, she got up, realizing she had forgot about something, something she had hidden away for many years. She went to her large cedar chest in the corner of the room and opened it. It was the beautiful chest her mother had bought for her eighteenth birthday, mostly because she wanted to lessen the blow that had followed after she had left Noah alone in his hometown at the last of summer, ending their passionate relationship. The gift was generous, but her mother would never realize how much emotional pain that her daughter had been in. She dug to the bottom of of the chest now, but not thinking about Noah or the summer she left him, but someone else, pulling out furs, photo albums and other miscellaneous items she had saved through the years. She finally found what she was looking for. She pulled out a tattered cardboard box that she had hidden away ever since she and Noah had found each other again. But she felt that she could no longer ignore it. She had to look through it.

She carefully opened it and shuffled through a few papers. Newspapers, fliers and old movie tickets lined the top of the stack, but what she wanted was at the bottom. She pulled out two items. One, a bundle of letters from Noah the other, a stack of short notes, with a slightly faded photograph on the top of the pile. She looked at the man in the photograph. He was only seventeen then, and had soft, sunny blond hair. He had the sweet smile that Allie had loved and the mischievous grin. He was stocky, just a little taller than she, but had a good body structure. He also had the eyes she would never forget, a stunning emerald green. Tommy Wesley would be twenty-six this September, making him six months older than she. And if she had played her cards right, he would've been _her_ Tommy. She would have been Mrs. Allison Wesley.

He was the one she had been dreaming of. She dreamt of the night they had taken a walk down by the river, near the waterfall. She dreamed of their secret relationship, the one they had unofficially had since childhood. It had only become official when Allie and he were sixteen, the moment they admitted to their mutual love for each-other. But Allie never let him tell anyone. They were to run away one day and get married. But until then, not even their closest friends could know of it. While her parents never approved of Noah, they would _never_ live with knowing that Allie was in love with someone like Tommy. Tommy's father had once been an abusive alcoholic and it had ended in his mother's death. So Tommy was shipped to live with his Gran at the east end of the county, down the street from the summer home that Allie's parents owned. Allie's mother once made the comment, "the apple never falls far from the tree, Allie. I want you to keep your distance and don't taste the forbidden fruit." But when they met, she saw someone sweeter than expected and every summer after that was spent together. Until she was seventeen and Noah became included in her plans.

She now felt the familiar sting of doubt that she knew came from thinking of Tommy. He had loved her as much as Noah and had still had his arms open to her when she and Noah had gotten in that fight. She had loved him too, but in a different way than Noah. Noah gave her a sense of lustful danger, making her feel spontaneous. But Tommy had made her feel like she could be safe, herself and still have fun. She liked that. Even when Lonne had come along, she still only felt a secure love for him, the fact that he could financially carry them. Tommy had been there the whole time, waiting for her to come around. But she had chosen Noah, was going to marry him soon and believed that she was doing the right thing. But if she was, why was she _still_ waking up with these dreams, these memories, filling her head?

She got up now, reaching for the phone on the table. She brought it back over to the corner and sat it beside her. Then she dialed the number, _his_ number, calling the house where he had lived this whole time. She felt as if she swallowed a boulder as she listened to it ring. The only thought running through her head was, _please don't pick up, don't pick up_. But all went silent as she heard a click and then a _"Hello?"_ She took a deep breath and replied, _"Tommy? Hi it's me, Allie. Can we talk?"_


	2. Awake and Alone

"And this couldn't wait until tomorrow

"And this couldn't wait until tomorrow? Jesus Allie, its two o'clock in the morning." Tommy replied after Allie explained why she had called. That she kept thinking of him, that she kept wondering how he was doing, if he was happy. She had taken extreme care to leave out the part about the dream she had been having, but decided she would tell him later.

"I'm sorry Tommy. I'm all alone right now." She replied.

"Noah's not…?" he asked and she noticed his tone was filled with hopeful questioning.

Allie caught the tone and awkwardly replied, "No I mean, we're together still, but he's in New York for a few more days and I just woke up. I can't sleep. So I thought I would call you, for old time's sake. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh," replied Tommy, "well I would've had to get up in a few hours anyway. I've got to be to Laggins's at six o'clock. Burt would kill me if I were to ever sleep in."

Allie cringed. Burt Laggins was the most crude, irresponsible and useless man she had ever met. He was the second in command at his father's steel factory, giving orders as well as taking them from his brother, Mac. To say that Burt enjoyed being ordered around and referred to as "little brother" would be a tremendous overstatement. So to compensate for this, he treated his shipment crew as though they were worthless animals. Tommy could easily find a better job, Allie knew it. He just didn't know it.

"You're still working there? It's been twelve years hasn't it? And you still haven't been promoted any farther."

Tommy sighed. He had worked at Laggins's since he was fourteen and he had done the same work the whole time. This same argument had left both he and Allie in heated fights in the past and he could not, would not let it come into this unexpected phone conversation. He still loved her and was determined to enjoy her voice while he could.

"Allie, we both know where this is going, so let's just change the subject. I'm too happy that you called to argue about that ape and his father's factory. So what about you? How have you been?" He asked.

"Well like I said, Noah's been gone a lot lately, orders and such. I think when we finally get married, maybe he'll settle down on the traveling so much."

Tommy's heart stopped.

"You're not married yet? I thought you would have been carrying his son by now." Allie's sweet laugh echoed over the phone.

"No, I want a daughter. If he thinks he's getting a son, he's getting his hopes up. And no, we haven't had a wedding yet. We decided to wait until he can organize all the finances from his woodwork. I think he feels insecure about giving me a modest wedding, probably because Lonne and I were to have ours at The Watchtower. I tried telling him that I don't need a private club wedding, but he still isn't willing to settle for anything less than excellent."

Tommy tried to fight a smile down, but ended up grinning ear to ear. Instead he falsed sympathy. "I'm sorry. You must be so anxious." She surprised him with her question.

"You know, we haven't seen each other in so long. Would you join me for a picnic tomorrow? I'll fix lunch if you will."

His heart jumped into his throat now. _Just say yes_, he thought to himself. "Ye-yeah. I would really like that. How about at eleven thirty? I'll be taking a two hour break at that time." He heard her pause, _probably thinking of changing her mind_, he thought.

"Yes, that sounds good. I'll see you then. Goodnight Tommy."

He heard a soft click and he had to catch his breath. Tomorrow at eleven thirty, he would get to see her. For the first time in eight years, he would actually see her face.

"Good night Allie," he whispered and turned out the light.


	3. Seeing Him Again

Ch

Ch. 3

The clock read ten o'clock. _Damn,_ Tommy thought to himself, wiping the sweat from his dirty brow. _You can't keep doing this to yourself, you'll go crazy, _his mind told him.

There was still an hour's wait until he was granted leave to wash up. He wanted to look amazing when Allie saw him. He knew he would look nothing like the fashionable gentlemen who had possibly courted her while she was in New York, but yet he wanted to impress her.

He tried to keep his mind off of their picnic by keeping himself busy. There was freight that needed to be hauled into the warehouse, steel to be melted down or cut, and other odd jobs. Tommy even took the chore of mopping up mud on the factory boardwalk, one job that usually only 15 year old lackeys were ordered to do. But he was determined to make the time pass and focused his efforts.

Finally, the eleven o'clock lunch bell rang and he eagerly put aside the shovel he had been using to scoop steel bits. He entered the front walkway of the warehouse, and turned to enter the office door. As he approached the open door, he rapped a quiet knock, to announce his presence.

Burt Laggins looked up from the newspaper he had been reading.

"What is it Wesley?" He asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"Actually Burt, err Sir, I was coming in to confirm my permission to leave. May I go now sir?" Tommy asked nervously.

Burt tapped his fat fingers on the wooden desk. "Ok Wesley, but be back at noon. We have cargo coming in through the river, I need you to go to the docks with Marshalls and pick it up."

Tommy's heart skipped a beat. "But Sir, I've earned my two hour break; I haven't had it in 3 months and today was my scheduled day to take it."

"Well, tough shit. You can have your break tomorrow. In the meantime, come back at noon or find another job," Burt grumbled.

Tommy turned and speedily left the warehouse, knowing that by tomorrow, he wouldn't have a job.

Allie stood in front of the mirror, gazing at her reflection. She had put on an extremely beautiful mint green dress, special apparel she only wore to special gatherings. She had especially picked this dress for the way it brought out her Emerald colored eyes and also for the way it made her red hair give off a warm glow when she wore it. It came down just past her knees and was trimmed with lace. The short, silk sleeves hung just below the shoulders, showing off her milky white, but beautifully fair skin. The neckline plunged to a V cut, slightly highlighting the soft swell of the top of her breasts. It was tied in the back with a soft pink sash. It looked cutesy, beautiful and sexual all at the same time. She knew she looked perfect and was satisfied.

She had carefully applied only blush, knowing that Tommy never did like the idea of her wearing makeup. He had always said that she was too beautiful for it, and she trusted his judgment. Her hair had been simply tied half up upon her head, the rest tousled with soft curls, delicate, but free to fall onto her shoulders.

Finally, she walked over to the cedar chest and took something out from the bottom of a corner of it. She completed her outfit with a simple, silver heart-shaped locket that Tommy had given her for her 16th birthday, a token of his love for her. Knowing that she was with Noah, and had to maintain her honor, she also adorned the equally simple engagement ring Noah had given her.

She looked over to the bed side clock and saw that it was eleven-twenty, so she grabbed a light sweater and headed downstairs.

She was in the kitchen preparing the picnic basket when she heard the doorbell ring. Once more, she checked her reflection in the kitchen mirror, and scurried into the entrance hall. Slowly, so as not to appear forward, she opened the large door.

Tommy was awkwardly standing on the porch, a bouquet of lilies in his hand. He was dressed in an old, visibly worn pair of trousers and a near-clean white button up shirt that was only buttoned half way up. To the world, he would look like a desperate member of the lower class, but to Allie, he looked amazing. The effects of time showed in his stance and in the way his shoulders had broadened. He had grown at least 5 inches taller and as Allie looked, she noticed the muscles that the tighter parts of his shirt revealed, the effects of working in a steel factory for almost thirteen years.

Knowing he might be wondering why she wasn't letting him in, she finally spoke.

"Tommy, it's really good to see you again. Thank you for coming."

Still holding the flowers, he nervously thrust them at her. "Uh, these are for you. I know how much you like Lilies so, well you know…"

She smiled at him, the same smile that always mentally knocked him off his feet since he had met her, and still did now. She had remained beautiful, or if possible, had become even more than he could ever dream her to be.

She thanked him for the lilies and invited him in. As they entered the kitchen area, the sweet smell of honey rolls and fried chicken filled his nostrils. She had always been an amazing cook and he was glad for the fact that she had offered to provide the food. Tommy always ate at pub's, for the fear that he would poison himself with his cooking.

He noticed that the pleasant smell of the food had blended with the delicate lilac perfume that Allie had always worn, which she was apparently wearing today. He had never forgotten that smell and could never forget it. He loved her more than he could ever possibly love life.

Allie grabbed the basket and turned just quick enough to catch Tommy gazing at her. She smiled as he blushed and said, "Well, are you ready to go Tommy?"

He nodded and stepped towards her. "Actually I picked the perfect spot. But it's a surprise, so hand me the basket, and let me blind fold you."

She laughed and, deciding to be a good sport, let him wrap a handkerchief around her eyes. He led her out of the house and to the car.

The whole car ride, Tommy hummed to himself and avoided her endless questions of where they were going. Finally they arrived and again, he led the way. She kept pushing him to let her take it off, but he still refused. At last, she heard him say, "Ok Allie, you can take off the blindfold."


	4. A Pleasant Suprise

"Oh Tommy

"Oh Tommy!" Allie couldn't help but gasp at where they were.

Tommy had brought her to their favorite place, their secret spot, where the bend of the river met with an enormous waterfall. The banks of the river were carpeted with lush shrubbery, and wild flowers grew by the thousands. The sweet smells of magnolia, gardenia and other floral scents wafted up through the fall's mist, making the spot a true paradise. For those who didn't come to this spot often, it was difficult to reach. But if you were familiar with the area, you would take the path by the fallen log, and would easily reach the waterfall. It was so beautiful, the biblical Garden of Eden itself would pale in comparison to this beloved spot.

Tommy looked towards Allie, gauging her reaction. The look of surprise and the way her eyes were glistening, with tears ready to spill out, made her look all the more beautiful. She was positively speechless, but Tommy was fine with that. He had specifically hoped for that reaction. Secretly, his heart wished that perhaps it might be a way to tell if she still loved him. Secretly, he hoped for another chance.

Allie took in the scene around her. She had missed this place so, dreamt of it almost every night, and it was if Tommy had read her mind by bringing her here. At that very moment, she didn't know whether to smile, to cry or to do both. Realizing that Tommy was still standing beside her, she turned towards him.

"What made you bring me here?" she asked.

Tommy instantly blushed. "I'm sorry, if you don't like it…"

"No, I love it!," she interrupted, "thank you for bringing me here. I've wanted to come back for so long, but I didn't."

Again, he blushed, showing his weakness for this fiery little red head that he loved more than anything. He knew that she was happy, and for that, he was happy.

Suddenly, she walked up to him. Without a second thought, she rose up on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Really, thank you Tommy," was all she said.

To avoid blushing again, he turned away from her, heading back to the car. "Well we'd better get the food, before it gets cold." He then proceeded to slowly saunter off.

She laughed at his reaction, knowing why he had turned away, and followed him back up the path. Without a care in the world, they were ready to enjoy their picnic.


	5. The Picnic

Tommy licked his lips, where the sweet taste of Allie's famous peppered chicken still lingered

Tommy licked his lips, where the sweet taste of Allie's famous peppered chicken still lingered. Though he was disappointed in Noah for frequently leaving Allie for extended periods of time, he was also jealous that the man ate such good food when he wasn't away. The food was delicious, the honey crescent rolls, the chicken, the sweet potatoes, all of it had been perfect. She was perfect.

To Allie, the picnic had gone especially well. She delighted in seeing Tommy enjoy the food she had carefully prepared all morning, eager to get everything right. For heaven's sakes, the man had eaten like he had been starving for weeks! The conversation was not as awkward as she had thought it would be. They steered clear from talking about his job, for the purpose of avoiding an argument, but talked about her time in New York, how he had been sick with a high fever last spring and anything but Laggin's steel mill. She avoided talking about her ex fiancé and the way she had shamefully betrayed him, for she did not want Tommy to see what a fool she had been. She was ashamed of it, and he no doubt would be ashamed of her. So she just kept to casual conversations.

Looking at him now, she could not ignore her love for him, which was apparently still there. It burned like a livid fire in her heart, and no matter how she forced her mind to turn to thoughts of Noah, she could not put out the flame. She had loved Tommy all her life and now it was evident that she could never stop, no matter how long it had been. And it had been too long.

She was pulled out of her thoughts suddenly, realizing he was standing over her. "Would you like to take a walk by the river with me, Miss Allie?" He asked, in the way he had done since nine years old. She smiled, giving him her hand and let him gingerly lift her off the ground.

They walked along the riverside, arm in arm and he was her escort. He didn't want time to pass, too afraid for this moment to fade away. And to him it felt, even for the slightest second, that she was his, that she loved him best. And lord only knew, he wanted to be that one she loved best.

He felt her stop, so he turned to look at her. Her eyes were shining with happiness and if he could take a picture of the way she looked, it would be sheer perfection.

She took a deep breath, a joyful breath. She was here with him, and that's all that mattered. Even thoughts of Noah returning in a few days didn't stop what happened next. "I love you Tommy Wesley. I always have and I believe no matter what, I always will."

He looked down at her. "More than Noah?" he asked.

He saw the sadness sweep across her face, and knew that she couldn't really answer that question. He inwardly kicked himself for that. He had always had the knack for saying the wrong thing, and this time was equally awful. He reached for her hand.

"Allie, I'm sor…"

"No, its fine. We need to talk about Noah and me." She interrupted.

"Ok…" He replied, not knowing what to expect.

"There were a lot of complicated things that went on with me and Noah," she stated, not daring to look him in the face. He knew it wasn't true and so did she.

"From where I seen, Noah just fit your parents' standards better than I, but you still weren't sure. That's why you started going out with him even before you broke up with me right?" He fired back, more angrily than he intended.

"Tommy, it wasn't…" she started to say, but then stopped herself. It was exactly like that, and she knew it. He had a reason to be angry with her.

She tried again. "Tommy, I'm sorry." Yes, that was better.

He breathed in deeply. He didn't want her to feel sorry. He knew he wasn't what she deserved, nor anything compared to Noah. Noah's woodwork was a gift and Tommy was nothing but useless. He wouldn't ever be able to give her the world or life Noah could eventually give her and he knew it, and it cut at him like a knife.

Though all of these thoughts ran through his head, he took her by surprise. He pulled her to him and lowered his head, crushing his mouth upon hers. He could taste the sweetness of her lips and the way she kissed him back made his head spin. But she kissed him back, and that was all that mattered.


	6. Inner Flame

It seemed like hours that he was kissing her

It seemed like hours that he was kissing her. As the heat rose between their two bodies, he felt her move against him in desperate need. He lowered his head and, breathing heavily in her ear, asked "do you wanna come home with me?" Her red curls bounced as she nodded her head yes. He swooped her up, carrying her to the car. As he plopped her down on the seat, he grabbed her again and kissed her long and firmly. But he soon pulled away and got in the driver's seat. This would be the longest car ride of his life.

In desperation, they fumbled their way into his house, his mind all a blur as he tumbled her to the hard wood floor of the living room. The heat of the lit fireplace swelled across their bodies and they knew it was the right moment. At that moment they lost themselves in an erotic haze as they did what they had been wanting to do to each other for the long years they had been apart. Nothing else mattered in the world, they were together again, she was here again and Tommy felt as if a great lion was roaring with victory inside him.

The next morning, Allie awoke in Tommy's arms, and a soft peace floated into her heart. She had needed to feel loved and more importantly, she needed to know where their emotions lay now. But it also occurred to her how irresponsible she had been. Once again, she had betrayed yet another man she loved, and she didn't know how she could face Noah after this. He knew what she had done to Lonne and now she had done the same to him. She had to cut the ties between them. She decided to dress before he awoke, quickly and quietly doing so, all the while holding her broken heart hidden.

As Tommy woke up, she fought back tears at what she might have to tell him. He gazed up into her face with a content smile, but it faded when he saw that she was upset. "Allie what's wrong babe?" he asked.

"Tommy, I am not your babe. I was once, a long time ago. But I can't be anymore."

"Allie, please…." He began, his voice cracking with emotion.

"This was a mistake Tommy. Foolish of me, of us, and I should have known better."

Hearing that he was a mistake cut him deep, he felt his heart burn in agony at that word, _mistake_.

"Allie-"he pleaded once more.

"I'm sorry Tommy, I can't. I have to go. Goodbye Tommy."

With that, she grabbed her sweater and whisked out the front door. He jumped up to watch her through the window, leaving him again. When she hit the dirt road, she ran faster away from his house, away from everything. In angry and miserable sobs he threw himself to the floor. Allie had left him. He had lost her once again to the one man he now hated most in the world.


	7. Finally Home

Noah crept in quietly and took great care to shut the heavy front door softly

Noah crept in quietly and took great care to shut the heavy front door softly. He didn't want to wake Allie just yet. It was still too early and he wanted to clean up before she saw him. Quietly he crept to the kitchen, placing the vase of white roses he had bought for her on the table. The room appeared faintly gray, waiting for sunlight to filter through the windows and warm the kitchen.

Noah walked to the sink, slightly turning the water on to wash his face. He reached for a towel from the laundry basket and found a clean shirt to change into. Traveling back from New York had toiled the one he was wearing and he wanted to freshen up before Allie woke up.

Turning back towards the stove, he got a better idea. Waiting to change his shirt, he carefully and quietly began making breakfast. Today was a day that called for his father's famous pancakes. When he and Allie had begun dating, Noah's father often made pancakes and usually at night when Allie would come over. She had loved his father's pancakes and it was regular habit to cook them. Today Noah was home and that called for a special breakfast. Especially because of what Noah had to tell her.

After he had piled the pancakes onto a large plate, he wiped his hands and finally changed his shirt. Plucking one of the roses from the vase, he slowly crept upstairs. When he entered the room, he had to stop in place for a moment to catch his breath. He had not seen her in almost two weeks and now was almost paralyzed by her beauty. He watched her slow, steady breathing, the way her fiery red hair sprawled across the pillow, the slight curve of her smile while she slept. It amazed him every day that this beautiful goddess could love him the way he loved her.

Finally able to move, he drifted to the side of the bed and lightly sat next to her. He lifted a single finger, brushing it down her perfect cheek, stopping at her jaw. Leaning over carefully, he tilted her chin towards him and softly kissed her crimson lips. He felt her move beneath him and watched as she opened her emerald eyes. He smiled softly as they burst in surprise and her perfect lips broke into a perfect smile. She jolted up, throwing her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.

"Noah, you're home! Oh Noah, you're finally home!"


	8. Leaving again?

They were sitting at the kitchen table and couldn't stop staring at each other. Allie could hardly believe he was home. She was both overjoyed and full of sorrow. She didn't know how she was going to tell him what happened with Tommy.

She didn't want to tell him right now, she couldn't. The moment was all too perfect, he looked all too perfect. The sun had finally crept into the room, lighting it on fire with all its glory and beauty. The lighting shined across Noah's perfect face, illuminating his smile, giving him the appearance of an angel. He couldn't stop looking at her and it was obvious that he was erratically happy to be home. Why should she be the one to take that away from him?

It was definitely a surprise for her, waking up and seeing his face. She had been dreaming of him and had realized how much she had really missed him. After she had let go of his neck, he had handed her the single white rose, then led her down to the wonderful breakfast he had made for her. It was all too perfect, she couldn't hurt him. Not like this and not now.

Maybe she wouldn't even have to tell him. Maybe she'd never have to hurt him. But to keep that kind of secret from him, she knew it was wrong. She knew it was never good to enter a marriage without complete honesty. But she couldn't stand to hurt him, not again.

"Allie, honey…." His voice broke her out of her thoughts. She nodded quickly, to show that she had heard him. "I got something to tell you," he stated and his smile slowly disappeared. Oh no, she thought, he knows. But how could he know? She mentally scolded herself and waited to hear what he had to say. "What is it Noah?"

He still didn't respond and now she really was worried. "Noah, it's obviously something important or it wouldn't be this hard to say." Finally he took a deep breath and began.

"We have to put the wedding off again." He waited for the look of surprise on her face before he continued. "Before I can close the deal with Mr. Delacroix, he wants me to travel west to Colorado. Apparently there's a large French community there and his brother owns a good cut of forest. His lumberjacks are going to collect some fine pine from that area and he wants me to go with them." He paused for a moment.

"Why, Noah? Why do you have to go with them?" Allie pleaded.

He sighed. "Mr. Delacroix said he wants me there to 'determine zee quality of zee wood for zee restaurant,'" Noah stated, in a very bad imitation of a French accent. When she looked down, he looked across the table and took her hands in his and waited for her to look up at him.

"Allie, I have waited nearly 8 years to marry you," he began. When she started to look away, he gave her hands a loving tug, making her look back into his eyes. " I know that we have put this wedding off long enough Allie, but have just a little more patience, please. I know you have given me more patience than I deserve, but I want to give you the best life I can. This deal is huge, we're talking extreme finance. I will be able to buy you nice things, things you deserve. And one day when we have kids, they will have a good life. I don't want our children to grow up low class. I want them to have nice things; I want you to have nice things. So please, let's just wait a little longer." Her plump, pouting lips quivered as she looked up at him, tears threatening to spill over her eyes.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

He smiled softly, knowing he had convinced her. "Only 3 more weeks, a month at the most. But I promise, the moment I get back, we are going to have the wedding of your dreams." Lifting her hands towards him, he kissed the top of her fingers.

"You promise?" she cooed in her sing-song voice.

He kissed her hands once more.

"I promise."


End file.
